Edward Lee Baker Jr. (December 28, 1865 in

Laramie County, Wyoming Laramie County is a county located at the southeast corner of the U.S. state, state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 100,512 or 17.4% of the state's total 2020 population, making it the List of counties in Wyo ...

– August 26, 1913 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

) was an African-American

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

who received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

for actions during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

. While under fire, he rescued a wounded soldier from drowning. He is interred in Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery, which is in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. A notable African-American Medal of Honor recipient, Baker is also known for being the maternal grandfather of jazz saxophonist and Oscar nominee Dexter Gordon. He was the father of Gordon's mother, Gwendolyn Baker.

Military career

Baker enlisted as a private in the 9th Cavalry Regiment on 27 July 1882 and was promoted to trumpeter prior to the expiration of his enlistment on 26 July 1887. On 25 August 1887 he re-enlisted in the 10th Cavalry Regiment where he held the positions of chief trumpeter and quartermaster sergeant prior to being promoted to the rank of Sergeant Major which made him the highest ranking enlisted man in the regiment. He fought with the 10th Cavalry at the Battle of San Juan Hill in July 1898. He distinguished himself in the battle and was awarded the Medal of Honor. He was commissioned as a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

of the 10 US Volunteer Infantry on 2 August 1898 and was mustered out of service on 8 March 1899. On 9 September 1899 he was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the 49th US Volunteer Infantry, mustering out with the regiment on 30 June 1901. He was re-commissioned as a

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

with the

Philippine Scouts The Philippine Scouts (Filipino: ''Maghahanap ng Pilipinas'' or ''Hukbong Maghahanap ng Pilipinas'') was a military organization of the United States Army from 1901 until after the end of World War II. These troops were generally Filipinos an ...

on 7 February 1902 and was promoted to 1st lieutenant on 10 September 1906. He was promoted to the rank of captain on 12 September 1908. He resigned from the Army after 27 years of service on 31 October 1909. At the time of his retirement he was one of the highest ranking African-American officers in the United States Army.Official Army Register, 1909. pg. 392.

Awards

Indian Campaign Medal The Indian Campaign Medal is a decoration established by War Department General Orders 12, 1907.

* Spanish Campaign Medal * Philippine Campaign Medal

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization: Sergeant Major, 10th U.S. Cavalry. Place and Date: At Santiago, Cuba, July 1, 1898. Birth: Laramie County, Wyoming. Date of Issue: July 3, 1902. Date of Presentation: Unknown Citation:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant Major Edward Lee Baker Jr., United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 1 July 1898, while serving with 10th U.S. Cavalry, in action at Santiago, Cuba. Sergeant Major Baker left cover and, under fire, rescued a wounded comrade from drowning.

Notes

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Edward L. Jr. Buffalo Soldiers United States Army officers American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Spanish–American War recipients of the Medal of Honor 1865 births 1913 deaths Burials at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery People from Laramie County, Wyoming People from Los Angeles United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Military personnel from California

Military career

Awards

Medal of Honor citation

See also

Notes

References